Door-operating device.



No. 6931575. Patented Feb. l8, I902.

F. W. TDBEY.

000R OPERATING DEVICE.

(Application filed June 13, 1901.)

(No Model.)

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FRED IV. TOBEY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GLOBE-W ERNICKE COMPANY, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION.

DOOR-OPERATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 693,675, dated February 18, 1902.

Application filed June 13, 1901. Serial No. 64,458. (No model.) 7

To all whom it ntay concern:

Be it known that I, FRED \V. TOBEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Door-Operating Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a certain new and useful device for operating disappearing doors for sectionalbookcases and other analogous purposes; and the invention consists in combining with the door and case a roller operated by a spring or other suitable means and an easily-adjustable flexible connection or connections between the said roller and the door.

The objects of my invention are, first, to furnish a flexible connection which can be quickly adjusted to the tension of the operating-roller without removing the flexible tension from the roller or removing the roller from the case; second, to furnish means for adjusting two or more flexible bands or connections between the roller and the door sep arately without removing the roller from the case, and, third, to furnish a cheap and easilyadjustable connection between the door and the operating-roller. These objects Iaccomplish by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a plan view of a section of a bookcase with the top removed, provided with my adjustable flexible adjustment in its preferred form. Fig. 2 shows a sectional view of the same on line as :0 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 shows my preferred form of band or flexible connection.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A shows a roller operated or revolved by the spring S or by any other suitable means. The roller A is provided withthe journals B B, which are supported by the case of the section.

C represents a flexible band of any suitable material provided with a suitable loop, preferably of metal, which loop is shown in the drawings by E.

F is a disappearing door adapted to be raised to a horizontal position and then slid into the case-section and to be drawn out of the case-section and be dropped down, so as to cover the opening in the front of the section. This door is provided with any suitable detachable hinge.

D shows the case.

The flexible band C is preferably provided with a loop H for engagement with the door by means of ahook or other device. Ordinarily two of these flexible strips or bands are used, one on either end of the roller, as fully illustrated by Fig. 1.

The operative roller, provided with a spring for revolving the same, has been used prior to my invention, and also the flexible con nections between the door and the adj ustingroller, and this I do not claim, broadly, as my invention. When such roller is used, operated by a spring or other like means, it becomes necessary to adjust the flexible strap or band so as to obtain the required strain on the door, in order to draw the same into the case evenly, and it is extremely inconvenient and impractical if it is necessary to remove the roller or to remove the band to properly adjust the same. It also becomes desirable at times to adjust the tension of the straps, where two or more are used, so as to have the roller act equally upon each end of the door. By my device the adjustment is easily and quickly accomplished. The connection 0 between the spring-ro1ler and the door is simply a strap provided with a metallic loop E, which strap is made to surround the roller by merely drawing the strap 0 through the loop E, as shown in Fig. 2. When the roller A is revolved from right to left, as shown in Fig. 2, it will wind the strap C upon the roller, thereby drawing the door into the case. The tightening of the strap is caused by loosening the same upon the roller, so as to place the loop in a different position. By loosening the strap 0 the roller can be turned without moving the strap, and there by can be seated in any required position with reference to the strap. For this reason it is convenient to have the strap so as to be easily detached from the door, although this changing of the position of the strap upon the roller can be accomplished with the moving of the strap from the door by holding the rollers in the hand, so that they will not revolve and press the door back, so as to slacken the strap 0, and the roller can be easily detached in the loop. The flexible band C is drawn through the loop or buckle E and slipped over theend of the roller, as fully shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The spring S or other means turns the roller in the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 1 and winds the band or strap upon the roller A. In drawing the door in the case when the flexible strap and loop are on the roller, as shown in Fig. 2, the roller turns from right to left, causing the loop to tighten around the roller and draw upon the strap which is attached to the door. The proper tension being obtained, the loop H is connected to the door, as above described. If it becomes desirable at any time to increase the tension of the spring S upon the roller, the roller can be revolved in a direction opposite from the direction shown by the arrow in Fig. 1, therebywinding the spring or other means, so as to increase the tension upon the flexible strap, and as soon as the spring or other means begins to turn in the direction shown by the said arrow the strap will be wound upon the roller. By this means the tension may be regulated at any time either upon one or both of the connecting-straps, and this without detaching the straps from the roller by Letters Patent, is

1. In combination with a case, a door therefor and an operating-roller, of a flexible strap connected at one end to the door and at its other end surrounding said roller, and means carried by the strap to permit of increasing the tension thereof.

2. In combination with a case, a door and an operating-roller, of a strap connected to the door and surrounding the roller, and a loop carried by the strap to permit of increasing the tension thereof without removing the roller.

In combination with a case, an operating-roller and a door, of a means engaging with the roller for connecting it to the door, and means carried by said connecting means to permit of increasing the tension thereof without its removal from the roller.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRED W. TOBEY.

Witnesses:

B. A. MOKENNA, JEssIn MoAR'rHUR. 

